Method and means for blending fiber strand segments in a base strand

Abstract

An unpredictable random distribution of segments of supplemental strands of fiber are produced in a base strand by pulling segments from the supplemental strands and adding them to the base strand. The segments are pulled from free extents of the supplemental strands that have a free length longer than the length of the fibers of the supplemental strands, and the supplemental strands advance slower than the base strand, with the result that the size and occurrence of the pulled segments in the base strand are unpredictably random. Preferably, a draw frame is used, to which is added a feed unit having a pair of rotating feed rolls for feeding the supplemental strands to the next-to-last pair of drafting rolls that have a surface speed greater than the feed rolls and are spaced therefrom a distance greater than the length of fibers in the supplemental strands. Thus, the drafting rolls pull segments or tufts from the supplemental strands and add them to the base strand for blending therein during subsequent drawing and other processing of the composite strand.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of adding segments of at least one supplemental strand of fibers of at least one characteristic of color, texture and construction into at least one base strand of fibers of at least one other characteistic of color, texture and construction to produce a composite strand of blended fibers with an unpredictable random distribution of said supplemental strand segments therein, said method comprising separately and continuously advancing said at least one base strand and said at least one supplement strand indiscriminately pulling from said at least one supplemental strand segments of lengths greater than the length of individual fibers thereof and of unpredictably random size and occurrence, adding said pulled supplemental strand segments to said advancing at least one base strand for incorporation therein to form a composite strand, and in advancing said at least one base strand during adding of said pulled supplemental strand segments thereto said at least one base strand is attenuated by drafting. 
     
     
       2. A method of adding segments of at least one supplemental strand into at least one base strand according to claim 1 and characterized further in that at least two different supplemental strands are advanced and pulled without interrelation of said supplemental strands, thereby resulting in unrelated occurrence and size of the segments pulled from the different supplemental strands and added to the at least one base strand. 
     
     
       3. A method of adding segments of at least one supplemental strand into at least one base strand according to claim 1 and characterized further in that in separately and continuously advancing said at least one base strand and said at least one supplemental strand the supplemental strand is advanced slower than the at least one base strand. 
     
     
       4. A method of adding segments of at least one supplemental strand into at least one base strand according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said drafting of said at least one base strand is continued subsequent to adding of said supplemental strand segments thereto, said continued drafting thereby facilitating the incorporation of said segments in said at least one base strand. 
     
     
       5. A method of adding segments of at least one supplemental strand into at least one base strand according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said pulling and adding of each said supplemental strand segment to the drafted base strand is performed simultaneously with said adding of the pulled segments. 
     
     
       6. A method of adding segments of at least one supplemental strand into at least one base strand according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said advancing of said at least one supplemental strand are performed at locations spaced apart a distance greater than the length of individual fibers of said at least one supplemental strand. 
     
     
       7. A method of adding segments of at least one supplemental strand into at least one base strand according to claim 1 and characterized further in that advancing of said at least one base strand is performed by feeding said at least one base strand through a plurality of progressively faster rotating pairs of drafting rolls and adding of said supplemental strand segments is performed between two of said pairs of drafting rolls. 
     
     
       8. A method of adding segments of at least one supplemental strand into at least one base strand according to claim 7 and characterized further in that in advancing said at least one supplemental strand it is advanced to said one pair of drafting rolls, and said pulling of segments from said at least one supplemental strand is performed by said one pair of said two pairs of drafting rolls. 
     
     
       9. A method of adding segments of at least supplemental strand into at least one base strand according to claim 8 and characterized further in that said drafting of said at least one supplemental strand is performed by a pair of rotating feed rolls through which said at least one supplemental strand is fed, said feed rolls being spaced from said one pair of drafting rolls a distance greater than the length of individual fibers of said at least one supplemental strand. 
     
     
       10. A method of adding segments of at least one supplemental strand into at least one base strand according to claim 9 and characterized further in that drafting of said at least one strand is performed on a draw frame and said one pair of drafting rolls is the next-to-last pair of drafting rolls through which said at least one base strand advances so that drafting of the composite strand will be performed between said one pair of drafting rolls and the last pair of drafting rolls to enhance combining of said segments in said at least one base strand.